St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-03-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


the House is trying to get on with the
regular indispensable Appropriation
bills. The past week was marked by
some important legislation, prominent
among which was the passage OF the
ads'-Tehuantepec Ship Railway bill,
by the Senate and the rigorous Anti
Polygamy bill by both the Senate and
House.
You may remember that this measure
passed the Senate some time since but
it was amended by the Hease, and now
the Senate has passed it as it came
from the House.
Only seven votes were recorded
against the scheme of Capt Eads for
constructing a ship railway across the
isthmus of Tehuantepec. These were
cast by Senators Edmunds, Jones of
Arkansas, Morrill,, Plat, Vance, Van
Wyck, and Wilson of Iowa. The bill
incorporates Capt. Eads and some
eighty other persons named, as body
polite under the name of the Atlantic
and Pacific Ship Railway Company.
The stock is not to exceed $1OO,0g0,O00;
and when ten per cent. of stock is sub
scribed and ten per cent. paid in cash, a
meeting of stockholders is to be held
in Washington or New Xork, for the
election of directors. If ten millions
of stock is not subscribed for, and ten
per cent. Of it paid in cash within two
years, the charter is to expire by limita-
ton. Consequently the Government is
not committed to the project pecuniari
~, and makes no guarantees.
The Senate has passed bills appro
priating about fifty millions for Ships of
war, coast defenses and other warlike
preparations. If the Senate had really
wanted to do something for the Navy, |
it would have passed these bills early |
enough to permit OF their consideration
by the House of Representatives 1t
ought not be expected that the House
will pass measures of such magnitude, |
without an examination which there is !
not now time to give. But, of course, |
the Senate will get the credit of having |
crease of the naval establishment, and
the House will be condemned for neg
lect Of its duty in this matter,
Every body is wondering whom the
President will appoint on the Inter
state Commission. Among the scores
of men who have been mentioned for a
place, Gen. Atkins, the present Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, is one of
the latest. His friends say he is man
who could be, officially, as much of a
friend to the railroads as to the people.
Said one of them, He could do justice
to both, and at the same time has moral
force sufficient to outride the tempta-
tion of winking at the New York brok-
ers for consideration
On next Thursday an effort will be
made in the House of Representatives
to pass the Pauper Pension bill over the
Presidents veto, and the Republicans
are expected to press the matter to such
an extent that there will doubtless be
pretty lively fight. The impression is,
however, that it will be impossible to
override the veto.
The first Mexican pension under the
recent act granting pensions to the sur
vivors of that war, was issued on last
Friday. 1t went to the hero of Cerro
Gordo, ex-senator Williams, Of Ken
lucky. If all the Mexican veterans
were able to verify their claims to an I
allowance and secure it as readily as he,
short work would be made of the Next
can pension business, at least. His ap-
plication was filed in the Commission
ers' office at eleven o'clock one day last
week, and the pension certificate was
mailed in the afternoon of the same
day.
The Cabinet succession continues to
be theme of discussion. A week ago
it was believed that Mr.. Fairchild, the
Assistant Secretary, was the man for
the place, but suddenly public opinion
changed entirely. Some say that the
President will appoint wide-awake,
practical politician to succeed Mr.. Man
ming. When the latter rendered his
resignation the President brought up
the subject of his successor, and Mr..
Manning urged upon him the necessity
OF avaliing himself OF the opportunity
TO appoint a strong Democrat of ma
tIonal reputation, and suggested two or
three names.
A Democratic Congressman of promi-
nence expresses the hope that the new
Secretary of the Treasury will be
taken from among those who are not
dominated by Wall-street ideas. But
as he himself acknowledged, it is very
difficult to lind man of financial ex- ,
perlence who Is not under WalI-street /
York is the centre of the money mower !
of the nation, every business man of
prominence has his main centre there. I